A Weasel with a Lion's Heart
by Shad0wJester
Summary: With Wisty in her tightest spot yet who's left to put everything right again, especially when Whit's whereabouts are a mystery? A guy you're still not sure if you trust? A boy who's love for one is what drives him on? Or just a weasel with a lion's heart?
1. Wisty: A Very Bad Situation

**A Weasel with a Lion's Heart**

Wisty

I wake up to the intense feeling of pain. I feel like I've been hit over the head by a baseball bat whilst having all my limbs ripped off and roughly sewn back on again. The last thing I remember is Whit and me surfing insanely high…over a town I think…oh yeah, and me yelling that I would hand over my power to The One. That's right, where was Whit anyway? And hadn't Byron said something about if I hand myself over, then Whit would be okay? That weasel better be telling the truth because I haven't even opened my eyes yet and my body feels all tense and cold like I am seriously in a dangerous situation right now.

Now, some newbies at the prisoner gig might have started looking around or even screaming for help by now, but I'd gotten used to this and the general rule is, as soon as your captors know you're awake, the real torture begins. Instead I'm gonna at least try to get my mind straight before I move a muscle.

From the way my body feels cold, the tingly sensation through my arms and the scratchy feel around my wrists and ankles I'd say I'm tied to some sort of vertical standing metal table. _Great_. And knowing The One, the ropes will be anti-magic, so I won't be able to burn through them if I light up.

"I can tell that you're awake Wisteria"

Shivers break out over my skin as I hear _his_ voice. The One Who is The One is, from what I can tell, less than ten feet away from me. But I don't get it? My face is limply bowed, he couldn't be able to see any change even if I had opened my eyes.

"I can tell because I can feel the change in your energy. Now look at me when I'm talking to you", ordered The One a little more forcefully.

I opened my eyes. I was silently horrified to find I was in a white nighty, I dread to think which of his staff changed my clothes. My mind jumps back to something Byron said "The One plans to unite himself with you", my skin crawled at the thought of The One doing it himself. But I did as asked and looked him deep in the eye, with all the hatred I could muster; I wasn't about to give him the satisfaction of seeing how scared I was – for me _and_ my brother.

"There you go, isn't that much better?"

"I think I prefer having the crick in my neck and the sight of your boring tiled floor more than the view I've got now." I retorted

The One ignored the obvious insult and carried on as if he was some sort of estate agent selling the place to me, "Oh I wouldn't say that. Look at the beautiful order in this room."

"I think some graffiti art all over the walls would spruce it up a bit, personally."

Ignored again, he carried on. "And from up here I can survey my great Overworld and watch it grow to its absolute maximum potential."

I couldn't really fault it there as I looked through the wall of glass in this office like room. Being this high up made me feel a little like a kid standing over an ant's nest.

Our little discussion was interrupted by a knock at the door.

"Yes?" The One asked in a bored tone.

"The One Who Delivers The Food" answered a muffled voice.

"Enter"

The door to my right opened letting in a small man with greasily combed back hair wearing something close to a waiter's uniform, followed by a trolley filled with trays upon trays of chocolates.

"Delivery for you, your Eminence. The chocolates are ready for consumption."

"Ah, perfect timing. Leave them here with me"

"Very well, your Eminence" The little man finished before bowing lowly and leaving.

The One pushed the trolley to the right of the table I was tied to so I couldn't escape the smell. I had already had to swallow three mouthfuls of saliva since the little greasy-haired man had entered the room and passed by me the first time.

I get it, this was my torture. These addictive little chocolates that were so close but so far were going to be my downfall.

"Would you like one, Wisteria? From what I could tell in The Room Where You Eat The Chocolate, you seemed very fond of these little pieces of food."

"Wha-?"

"The word is 'pardon' if you didn't here me, Wisteria. And I asked if you wanted to eat one of these chocolates."

You've gotta me kidding me  
>"I'd love to but I'm a little bit tied up with something at the moment", I say waving my hands.<p>

"Ah yes, well unfortunately I'm afraid you would run away if I untied you. You have a nasty habit of doing that"

"Yeah, I'm working on it" I say in mock apology.

The One then proceeds to pick up a piece of the chocolate and rest it on my lips.

What on earth? He wants to feed me now? The situation reminds me sickeningly of someone feeding their lover strawberries as one rests their head on the other's lap. EW!

I send him a look of utter disgust, while my lips remain tightly closed. Unfortunately for me, I know that at any moment he can clamp my nose shut so I'll open my mouth in order for me to breathe. But no, he opts for the more humiliating option.

As the chocolate gently melts on my lips, it's edging its way into every crack in my lips. The smell alone is making me dizzy. Every inch of me is screaming to just extend my tongue a few millimetres toward the sweet ecstasy. After all, what harm can just one of these chocolates do? It took almost a whole plate of them to get sick last time.

As soon as my tongue touches the liquid chocolate probing through my lips, I feel like I'm in heaven. Who knew things could taste _this_ good? I swear the chocolate tastes even better than when I had had it last time. Something was different about it. A different recipe perhaps? Something definitely had a zing to it. I had another. What was it that was different? And another. I still couldn't place the euphoric taste.

I slowed for a moment. I was so dizzy now. Who knew a simple piece of chocolate could bring on this kind of pleasure. I felt fuzzy, I needed my next piece of chocolate. Where was it already? I had already finished licking those fingers clean. Whose were they again? My eyes shifted; focusing for a second but then going fuzzy again. Was that a trolley? A trolley of chocolates? MY chocolates? It better not be; it was half empty!

My attention was forced to shift again. The chocolate was forcefully pushed into my mouth. How mean, my chocolate was hidden in amongst obstacles and crevices in this new wet, hot thing invading my mouth. My tongue lapped hungrily at each tiny chocolate covered part of what was within reach. I whimpered as the chocolate giver moved away from my lips and up to my ear

"Tell me what you want, my little Wistful" a voice said huskily, licking my earlobe as it did so.

I couldn't think, my mind was drawing a blank. All I knew is that I wanted more chocolate and some fantastic being was giving me an endless supply of them. I think I might just be in heaven. "Mmmmmmmmmm….Moooorre" was all I could manage. The voice chuckled darkly "Goooood" as it resumed it's sucking on my earlobe. For whatever reason, my heart was racing, and my breathing was shallow. Too much chocolate? I hope not. And since when did chocolate make me feel hot between my legs. Well whatever the reason, it felt uncomfortable, like a tension that had to be relieved.

Rrrrrrrrrrrrrrriiipp

Was that my nighty? Whatever, "Hmmmmmmm" the fingers thrust another chocolate in my mouth. Suddenly something slid between my legs, toward my centre. Fingers? "Ahhh! Ohh…Ahhh…" But there was something wrong with this situation; something just felt… 'off'. Though with my brain all fizzy, I could barely tell up from down, "Ahh…Ah…Ah…Ahh…Ah-!"

Knock! Knock! Knock!

Was that the door? I didn't worry about it for long, as another fantastic chocolate was placed on my tongue.

"Your Eminence!"

"Who dares speak to me before I speak!" the voice threatens, flinging the door open, ready to unleash its wrath.

"Your Eminence, I mean no disrespect. It's just you asked to be updated if it was an emergency! It's the Allgood's, sir! They're escaping!"  
>I feel like I should know who that is…Allgood…who?<p>

"WHAT!" The voice that has abandoned her yells.

"Yes, sir!"

"HOW!" The voice bellows again.

"Whitford Allgood, sir. He must've found a way past our security, because he's escaping with his parents now, sir!" A squeaky man explains urgently. The voice almost roars its fury, and slams the door shut. Oh. Did the chocolate giver leave? But…But my chocolate. I'm still- I need my chocolate! My body had already started trembling, I needed to break free of these restraints but I just felt so weak… it felt like something was sucking the life right out of me…one more chocolate would give me the strength, surely…

Creeeeeaaaaaaaakk. Click.

"Oh my God"


	2. Byron: The Weasel to The Rescue

**A Weasel with a Lion's Heart**

Byron

With a virus in URSA and a holographic illusion of Whit, Ben and Liz running about the Brave New World Centre, I think that'll buy me about five minutes at least in order to save Wisty.

But when I find her, that's when reality hits. Hard. "Oh my God"

I don't really know what I expected when I found out Wisty had been caught by The One, who wanted to 'unite' them or something fucked up like that. Maybe I hoped that it wouldn't be as horrible as it sounded, and she'd just be hooked up to a machine that sucked out her power. But this…

Wisty looked like she'd been crucified to a metal table, beaten, stripped naked, drugged and raped.

I'd failed her again. She looked so weak that she might even die. I pushed myself away from the door, rubbing away irritable tears as I went. No. I wasn't going to let that happen! I have to save her from this hellhole! She can't die here. I grabbed the knife out of my boot and hacked away at the ropes tied around her ankles and wrists causing her to topple limply into my arms.  
>I dressed her in the white lab coat I'd picked up as a disguise when I first got to the Centre. It was like a tent for her skinny frame, but I guessed she'd appreciate it more than the now discarded nighty, which she had clearly been wearing before it had been brutally ripped from her body.<p>

Her trembling hands reached out desperately toward the trolley I'd passed to get to her. It finally made me realise how she'd got in this state, those were batch 52 chocolates.

Those had been the most celebrated batch yet, their capabilities of causing drowsiness, confusion, dizziness, lustfulness and general lack of strength had been used on a few of the women in the city who no longer would sleep with their husbands; as having families without breeding programs in place were inefficient in their duty to populate the city with more workers. It was also used as a tool of torture in some cases. My Wisty seemed to be one of the latter cases.

"Ch-…Choc…late…"

I grabbed a handful of the chocolates, "Wisty. Wisty?" She didn't even seem to recognise her own name let alone me. Despite her head lolling slightly, she was just fixated on the chocolate. I got up, waving the chocolates under her nose and then dangling them next to my face. It seemed to work at least. "Wisty I'll give you another chocolate if you help me, okay?" She nodded like a puppy about to perform a trick. "I need you to lend me some of your power, alright? I want to be able to give you all of these chocolates but I can't do that unless you help me, okay?" She nodded more and more eagerly as I tempted her with the chocolates. Though in all honesty, if it was entirely up to me, she'd never be able to get her hands on another of these chocolates for the rest of her life.

She smiled dumbly, arms spread wide in a hug gesture. I played along, no harm in trying, right? I wrapped my arms gently around her, being careful not to irritate any of her wounds.

Sighing deeply, she cupped my face in her hands and pressed her forehead against mine.

I tried to mimic her breathing. In…Out…In...

Her warmth was spreading from my face to the rest of my body. Opening my eyes, I saw we were both alight! But not burning, like others would. Maybe she _did_ recognise me after all; she knew I was the only one immune to her fire.

Just like I had done before, I inhaled her flames; warming my insides and making me feel so powerful. My courage was back, my faith in Wisty and in myself. "Thank you Wisty, that's enough" The flames died down and she looked around – expectant of her well earned chocolate. But I didn't let either of her hands go; at least not until the transformation was complete. I visualised Wisty as a field mouse; light and easy to hide, then I imagined myself as a peregrine falcon; the fastest bird in the world. If I wanted to get back to Freeland before the spell ran out I was going to have to be something seriously fast.

Within moments the transformation was complete and I was flying out the window, with Wisty tucked safely against the feathers under my stomach.


	3. Byron: High Flying

Byron

It hadn't taken Wisty long to fall asleep due to her exhaustion after her little tantrum from getting no chocolate. And to be honest now that we were so close to Garfunkel's I felt I could finally breathe a sigh of relief. Wisty was safe inside the Freeland's borders and that's all that matters. In all honesty I was rather enjoying the current situation: feeling her heart beat against mine, feeling her magic give me so much strength and being alone with her for once, being the only one who can protect her here and now. Call me egotistical but I rather liked the idea of being the one she can lean on when she's got no strength left to stand on her own.

Thunder sounded. From what I could tell it was coming from the Brave New World Centre, I could only imagine the kind of rage The One was taking out on his people. But for now at least, I couldn't have been happier, I had outsmarted him and rescued Wisty at the same time. For once in my life I wasn't scared. I had finally severed my ties to The One and my father. I, Byron Swain, was free.

My blissfulness didn't last long as I felt my stomach tense in anticipation of what was about to happen. I dipped my wing, at this height, transformation might well be fatal. But suddenly my wing was no more, as an arm replaced it. Shit. I wrapped my arms protectively around Wisty as we free-fell the rest of the way.


	4. Wisty: What The Hell?

Wisty

Cold. Warm. Bright. Dark. My useless mind was giving me a stream of mixed signals. Something squishy was under me, or rather, surrounding me. I opened my eyes, but everything was blurry, why was that? I appeared to be lying on a forest floor; an orange sky glowing above me. And arms. Two skinny looking arms were wrapped limply around me.

A steady heartbeat could be felt against my back, and a warm chest rising and falling. I could feel warm puffs of air being blown onto the top of my head.

Friend or foe? Protector or captor? I had no idea; I couldn't remember much of anything at the moment.

3…2…1… I turned quickly; ready to strangle whatever had caught me. But I was surprised when the sight of someone familiar reached my eyes.

"Agh!" Byron flinched as my elbow dug sharply into his ribs.

I scuttled away from him; alarmed.

He sat up gingerly, leaning against the tree trunk behind him. He sighed, rubbing his rib. "Well that was a sure way to wake me up" Looking at the tree trunk and then the green grass underfoot, "Well that was more luck than good judgement". Finally, he looked at me, "Well are _you_ alright at least? Wisty?"

I was having such a hard time trying to remember who this guy was and if I could trust him I hadn't spared one thought about who I was. From what I could gather, this guy thought my name was 'Wisty'. It did ring a bell, so I nodded.

The guy let out a breath I hadn't realised he'd been holding.

Using the tree trunk for support he hoisted himself up. "Well? You coming?"

I stood up too "W-Where?"

"Home" His brows furrowed, as if the word felt foreign on his tongue. But soon turned, looking around, as if to orientate himself before he set off in the direction headed away from me. "Come on, Wisty, we need to get back to the others."


	5. Byron: Seeking Sanctuary

Byron

"Others?" queried her unnaturally quiet voice from behind me. Those chocolates sure are strong if they're still in her system. Well at least she isn't as weak as she was earlier, she's walking by herself. But she clearly doesn't entirely trust me yet, so I won't be able to stay too close to her. "Yes, others. Don't you remember? Janine? Sasha? Whit? Any one of these ringing a bell?"

"I- I-…I don't know" she was rubbing her temples; an angry look on her face. "My head…It's all…fuzzy"

"Yeah, it would be. They drugged you" I couldn't help a little aggression slip into my voice as I remember what sickening condition I found her in a few hours previously.

"W-What?"

"It was the drug in the chocolates you were being given. It makes you feel weak, dizzy and confused among other things."

"Oh…" she looked crestfallen, angry, even a little scared.

I couldn't help it, all I wanted to do was hold her, protect her forever, I resigned myself just to put my arms around her shoulders "Don't worry, you're bound to feel really confused right now but the drugs effects will wear off by tomorrow and then you'll feel much better.

"…Right…"

After a few more hours of walking we had long since passed Garfunkels, or rather the remains of it. After the bombs had hit, this old home was now nothing more than debris. I lead Wisty into what looked like an old office building that clearly hadn't had people inside it for months.

"We can rest here till morning" 'I just hope they don't catch up with us here' I added silently.

At that Wisty practically collapsed on the carpet floor panting.

"Wisty! Are you alright?"

"Fine. Just tired…I feel really weird…"

"If you're tired, they tell me. I could've carried you"

She chuckled lightly "No thanks. I have my dignity"

Now it was my turn to laugh "You're hanging out with me now; dignity's got nothing to do with it. Well don't go anywhere, I'm gonna look for something to keep us warm"

This place looked grey as if every inch of it was covered with ash. And since it was now almost nightfall I didn't exactly have much light to work with unless I wanted to alert any enemies of our whereabouts. Down the hall were several rooms all looking the same; tiny private office rooms containing a desk, chair and filing cabinet. Though one of them was perfect: a staff lounge. This had a vending machine, coffee table and a couch.


End file.
